If I am GM, this is my blueprint and the guide I follow to create a respectable offense in Miami. The reason the Patriots stretch the field so well is because of their plethora of play makers. This is obvious, but let's look back on Brandon Marshall, and what he did for Miami and Chicago. Both franchises and their fans believed Marshall alone was the key to a top offense, and this is extremely flawed. Both Miami and Chicago have little, to no play makers behind Marshall to stretch the field with. Opposing defenses had no one else to respect on the field besides Marshall, and this limited his production, as well as the offense. The Patriots for example, have proven play makers all over the field that demand the defense's attention, and leave little room for double teams. We need Miami to follow the same suit in order to knock off Brady and Belichick's Patriots. Here is how we start.

In the 2013 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins trade down from their 12th pick in a trade to gain an additional 2nd rounder, sliding down to the 20-25 range. With their 1st round pick, they select Justin Hunter out of Tennessee. This kid has all the tools of an Olympic athlete, and I believe will leave an AJ Green type impact on an NFL offense in just year 2. The kid is an absolute stud, and will excel in everything the NFL combine throws at him. Everything. With the 1st round trade, we would gain our third 2nd round pick...giving us the advantage of selecting six players in the top 90 selections, an NFL best. With Miami choosing THREE times in the 2nd round, WR Robert Woods out of USC should be available with their 1st 2nd round selection. In selecting another top WR prospect in Woods, the Dolphins get a Mike Wallace type burner, and legitimate deep threat down field.

We all know we need to go hard in adding Greg Jennings, Mike Wallace or Dwayne Bowe in free agency, giving us yet another PROVEN play maker on offense for Ryan Tannehill. Let's say we add Jennings as he is clearly a Philbin guy. This leaves us with an offensive line up consisting of Greg Jennings, Justin Hunter, Robert Woods, an elite slot receiver in Davone Bess, and Reggie Bush for Tannehill to throw to. Hunter and Woods are obviously un proven at an NFL level going into the draft, but look these two up and tell me they do not have tremendous upside. I am drooling over the thought of this line up for Tannehill, and everyone knows this current offensive roster is devoid of play making talent.

The defense is solid, and has kept us in all but 2-3 games this season, all we needed was the offense to step up in its part, but it succeeded less than even 50% of the time and amounted to a total of 7 wins. The offense is the biggest issue by far, not the defense. We can line up a pass rusher opposite of Wake in the 2nd round, this is an extremely DE heavy draft and we do not have to use our 12th pick on the position. Werner will without a doubt be gone by then, however Barkevious Mingo may be on the board by our 12th pick, but racking up on picks for round 2 can prove a pass rusher of near equal upside as Mingo.

Elite offenses like New England have Gronkowski, Hernandez, Woodhead, Welker, and Ridley that demand attention and respect from opposing defenses, and all FIVE are homerun threats if not double covered in open field. We have one player on this roster who we can boast the same about, and that is Reggie Bush to no surprise. I would have little faith in Hartline, Bess, Moore, Matthews in shaking any defender downfield for the score. That is the difference between New England, and Miami on offense. Tom Brady obviously leaves tremendous impact, but it finally looks like we have our QB, and we cannot waste time in supplying him play makers. That was Marino's downfall in his ringless career, devoid of a running game. The defense is near in place, but with additions of Justin Hunter, Robert Woods, and a Greg Jennings, Tannehill would have no excuse in a failed offense. The same goes to Mike Sherman.

If I am GM, this is my blueprint and the guide I follow to create a respectable offense in Miami. The reason the Patriots stretch the field so well is because of their plethora of play makers. This is obvious, but let's look back on Brandon Marshall, and what he did for Miami and Chicago. Both franchises and their fans believed Marshall alone was the key to a top offense, and this is extremely flawed. Both Miami and Chicago have little, to no play makers behind Marshall to stretch the field with. Opposing defenses had no one else to respect on the field besides Marshall, and this limited his production, as well as the offense. The Patriots for example, have proven play makers all over the field that demand the defense's attention, and leave little room for double teams. We need Miami to follow the same suit in order to knock off Brady and Belichick's Patriots. Here is how we start.

In the 2013 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins trade down from their 12th pick in a trade to gain an additional 2nd rounder, sliding down to the 20-25 range. With their 1st round pick, they select Justin Hunter out of Tennessee. This kid has all the tools of an Olympic athlete, and I believe will leave an AJ Green type impact on an NFL offense in just year 2. The kid is an absolute stud, and will excel in everything the NFL combine throws at him. Everything. With the 1st round trade, we would gain our third 2nd round pick...giving us the advantage of selecting six players in the top 90 selections, an NFL best. With Miami choosing THREE times in the 2nd round, WR Robert Woods out of USC should be available with their 1st 2nd round selection. In selecting another top WR prospect in Woods, the Dolphins get a Mike Wallace type burner, and legitimate deep threat down field.

We all know we need to go hard in adding Greg Jennings, Mike Wallace or Dwayne Bowe in free agency, giving us yet another PROVEN play maker on offense for Ryan Tannehill. Let's say we add Jennings as he is clearly a Philbin guy. This leaves us with an offensive line up consisting of Greg Jennings, Justin Hunter, Robert Woods, an elite slot receiver in Davone Bess, and Reggie Bush for Tannehill to throw to. Hunter and Woods are obviously un proven at an NFL level going into the draft, but look these two up and tell me they do not have tremendous upside. I am drooling over the thought of this line up for Tannehill, and everyone knows this current offensive roster is devoid of play making talent.

The defense is solid, and has kept us in all but 2-3 games this season, all we needed was the offense to step up in its part, but it succeeded less than even 50% of the time and amounted to a total of 7 wins. The offense is the biggest issue by far, not the defense. We can line up a pass rusher opposite of Wake in the 2nd round, this is an extremely DE heavy draft and we do not have to use our 12th pick on the position. Werner will without a doubt be gone by then, however Barkevious Mingo may be on the board by our 12th pick, but racking up on picks for round 2 can prove a pass rusher of near equal upside as Mingo.

Elite offenses like New England have Gronkowski, Hernandez, Woodhead, Welker, and Ridley that demand attention and respect from opposing defenses, and all FIVE are homerun threats if not double covered in open field. We have one player on this roster who we can boast the same about, and that is Reggie Bush to no surprise. I would have little faith in Hartline, Bess, Moore, Matthews in shaking any defender downfield for the score. That is the difference between New England, and Miami on offense. Tom Brady obviously leaves tremendous impact, but it finally looks like we have our QB, and we cannot waste time in supplying him play makers. That was Marino's downfall in his ringless career, devoid of a running game. The defense is near in place, but with additions of Justin Hunter, Robert Woods, and a Greg Jennings, Tannehill would have no excuse in a failed offense. The same goes to Mike Sherman.

I like the idea but maybe not the players. I would like to add a TE either in the draft or FA instead of drafting Woods. Also would like to add a CB but I agree our D is good enough to make the playoffs but it's our O that's holding us back!

Philbin's offense needs a a good receiving TE (and if you're following the NE blueprint, well you get the point). Looks like there are a few good options in the draft, a few guys in free agency and maybe someone via trade.

I would definitely look to free agency for a TE, obvious primaries are Jared Cook and Dustin Keller has the alternative. Outside of Eifert, I am not sure if I'd use a 2nd on Ertz (if he even falls that low).

Trading down helps other teams. We have 5 picks in the first three rounds already. I would rather take a WR first, then trade a pick or more to move up into the first round again for a pass rusher.....or even go DE first and move back into the 1st for a WR. Top talent often garners a higher pick. It is not rocket science. Sure, you might find gems late, but players get drafted in round 1 for a reason.....they are talented.

The team already gave up a season to stock up picks and give our QB an extended training camp. Time to get aggressive and take some shots.....not give up picks to continue the trend of mediocrity.

Hell...even when this team had truly high picks, they whimp out for "safe" prospects. That netted them a LT with a short shelf life and a running back who was solid, but unspectacular. They should have gone for the QB they needed instead. When they did gamble on Ginn, they whiffed.....but at least they took a shot on a play maker.

_________________Philbin's countenance exudes confidence!1984 was so long ago...Will there ever be another rainbow?

While I have no doubt that adding those types of weapons to our existing offense would significantly improve it, and while I also believe that Tannehill will continue to progress next season and improve, an offense is still only as good as it's quarterback. Tannehill still needs to develop and mature into a franchise quarterback before we're going to be able to compete with New England. He's just simply not there yet. But who knows, putting those kind of weapons around him might just yield a 4,000 yards season and a lot more touchdowns, that could lead to him moving up in status.

Trading down helps other teams. We have 5 picks in the first three rounds already. I would rather take a WR first, then trade a pick or more to move up into the first round again for a pass rusher.....or even go DE first and move back into the 1st for a WR. Top talent often garners a higher pick. It is not rocket science. Sure, you might find gems late, but players get drafted in round 1 for a reason.....they are talented.

The team already gave up a season to stock up picks and give our QB an extended training camp. Time to get aggressive and take some shots.....not give up picks to continue the trend of mediocrity.

Hell...even when this team had truly high picks, they whimp out for "safe" prospects. That netted them a LT with a short shelf life and a running back who was solid, but unspectacular. They should have gone for the QB they needed instead. When they did gamble on Ginn, they whiffed.....but at least they took a shot on a play maker.

I don't see a single receiver worth 12th overall. But I see multiple guys I'd take in the latter part of the 1st round. I'd rather see us trade back and add another 2nd round pick for doing it. Then use that extra 2nd to help boost the offensive line or defensive secondary.

While I have no doubt that adding those types of weapons to our existing offense would significantly improve it, and while I also believe that Tannehill will continue to progress next season and improve, an offense is still only as good as it's quarterback. Tannehill still needs to develop and mature into a franchise quarterback before we're going to be able to compete with New England. He's just simply not there yet. But who knows, putting those kind of weapons around him might just yield a 4,000 yards season and a lot more touchdowns, that could lead to him moving up in status.

I don't see a single receiver worth 12th overall. But I see multiple guys I'd take in the latter part of the 1st round. I'd rather see us trade back and add another 2nd round pick for doing it. Then use that extra 2nd to help boost the offensive line or defensive secondary.

There was an article published the other day, can't remember where or by whom, and it was posted on these forums, that said a significant majority of Pro Bowl players are drafted in the top half of the first round.

Do we want to add an impact player or take a flyer on a borderline 1st-2nd rounder?

We have other needs besides receiver, so if one isn't at the top of the first, then take a corner or a defensive end, another impact position we have a need at.

There was an article published the other day, can't remember where or by whom, and it was posted on these forums, that said a significant majority of Pro Bowl players are drafted in the top half of the first round.

Do we want to add an impact player or take a flyer on a borderline 1st-2nd rounder?

We have other needs besides receiver, so if one isn't at the top of the first, then take a corner or a defensive end, another impact position we have a need at.

I know where you stand and cannot fault you, however, if Justin Hunter's stock does fall and has him going into the 2nd round I would undoubtedly use my 12th overall pick on a guy with tremendous upside like Barkevious Mingo...I am not too sure the kid slides that far though, but we do have something going for us.

Teams like the KC, AZ, NYJ, BUFF are all highly potential reachers at the quarterback position. We all know it's a weak class, and I have my fingers crossed that those teams will screw up and reach for Barkley, Smith and Austin all in the top 10 leaving us a grander opportunity at landing Mingo.

This is definitely a "rough draft" of mine that I have written and will definitely tweak it up a bit as the draft nears and players' stocks rise and fall. As of right now, I still stand on trading down for Hunter as I think he will be a late 1st round guy, and hopefully Zach Ertz, the TE out of Stanford is waiting for us with one of our 2nds.

I don't see a single receiver worth 12th overall. But I see multiple guys I'd take in the latter part of the 1st round. I'd rather see us trade back and add another 2nd round pick for doing it. Then use that extra 2nd to help boost the offensive line or defensive secondary.

There was an article published the other day, can't remember where or by whom, and it was posted on these forums, that said a significant majority of Pro Bowl players are drafted in the top half of the first round.

Do we want to add an impact player or take a flyer on a borderline 1st-2nd rounder?

We have other needs besides receiver, so if one isn't at the top of the first, then take a corner or a defensive end, another impact position we have a need at.

It all depends on who is available. If the right cornerback, safety, or lineman is there, then I wouldn't be opposed to going after the guy. But if those guys go early, then I'd rather see us trade back once or twice and add picks.

I don't see a single receiver worth 12th overall. But I see multiple guys I'd take in the latter part of the 1st round. I'd rather see us trade back and add another 2nd round pick for doing it. Then use that extra 2nd to help boost the offensive line or defensive secondary.

There was an article published the other day, can't remember where or by whom, and it was posted on these forums, that said a significant majority of Pro Bowl players are drafted in the top half of the first round.

Do we want to add an impact player or take a flyer on a borderline 1st-2nd rounder?

We have other needs besides receiver, so if one isn't at the top of the first, then take a corner or a defensive end, another impact position we have a need at.

I remember the article Rich and I have done some of my own research on the topic. It is definately correct. Pro Bowl players, at basically every position, come from the higher eschalons of the draft. Trading back will get you more picks, but finding studs even in the later half of the first round is much more difficult than finding them in the top 15 picks.

When a team is devoid of talent, I can see an argument to get two decent bodies over one great one (I may not agree with it, but I can see the argument). I don't think that is where we are at. There is talent on this team and I would prefer adding an elite guy rather than trading back and getting two good guys.

I posted the other day that I would like to sign Wallace, draft Conerback Dee Milliner at #12 or trade up past Tennessee if necessary to get him. Then use the 2nd and 3rd round picks to draft a WR, a TE, an OT and an OG.

While I have no doubt that adding those types of weapons to our existing offense would significantly improve it, and while I also believe that Tannehill will continue to progress next season and improve, an offense is still only as good as it's quarterback. Tannehill still needs to develop and mature into a franchise quarterback before we're going to be able to compete with New England. He's just simply not there yet. But who knows, putting those kind of weapons around him might just yield a 4,000 yards season and a lot more touchdowns, that could lead to him moving up in status.

That is kind of the point...

I get it man, and I'm completely on board. I think adding Jennings, Hunter, and Woods would take our passing game to a level that few teams in the NFL have. We'd be right up there with Green Bay in terms of depth and talent.

But it's not just adding receivers that will get our passing game and offense on track. We need to also address the offensive line big time. We need at least two new offensive linemen to get our line to the point where we can have consistent protection for Tannehill and consistent rushing lanes for our backs.

No slight on the explosive Patriots offense, but the Dolphins are following the Packers blueprint on offense.

I agree Dave and being that we hired their OC as head coach it was obvious that we would go in that direction. While their "blue print" worked for them they were fortunate to have 2 elite QB's in succession although I know Favre might not be of the Philbin blue print it does add to the fact that they have been able to stay successful even when replacing a HOF QB which is rare. Only thing Philbin might find is that Tannehill is not Rogers and the players we scoop away from the Packers in free agency are all older and while they might know the system success like they had with their previous team is rarely achieved to that same level. I am no draft guru and know a lot less about players coming out of college than most here but why are other teams able to find these guys at the skilled position (WR in particular) and have guys from the beginning of their careers who are able to make the system their own rather than go the free agent route and tend to overpay only to be disappointed that the player is not what he was with his previous team.

Man, who would have thought that Aaron Rodgers would have turned out to be as good as he is. I thought for sure that he'd be another Tedford system bust. The Dolphins had a chance to draft him and didn't do it even though we were desperate for a QB.

TEDFORD QBs wrote:

8. Akili Smith, Cincinnati Bengals via Oregon

It is surprising that the third overall pick of the 1999 draft is not mentioned more often as one of the biggest NFL draft busts ever. He was so bad he finished with a 52.3 quarterback rating in the NFL. He had four seasons and 17 starts with Bengals and some mop up time with the Green Bay Packers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was even a washout in the Canadian Football League.

7. Joey Harrington, Detroit Lions via Oregon

Harrington had all the tools to be a great quarterback, but he was the victim of a declining Lions roster after he was drafted third overall in 2002. He wasn’t much better than Smith with a 69.4 quarterback rating, though he was hurt by a porous offensive line. He played four years for the Lions and was benched midway through the third season, finishing with an 18-37 record. He was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2006 and his career ended two seasons later as a backup with the New Orleans Saints.

6. A.J. Feeley, Philadelphia Eagles via Oregon

A fifth-round draft pick in 2001, Feeley has had a solid career as an NFL backup with five different teams. He has a 69.6 quarterback rating and is currently with the St. Louis Rams. There is nothing flashy about Feeley; he has been a dependable quarterback. He is best remembered for taking Philadelphia to a playoff berth in 2002.

5. Kyle Boller, Baltimore Ravens via Cal

Now a backup with the Oakland Raiders, the Ravens had high hopes for Boller when they drafted him 19th overall in 2003. Baltimore stuck with him through five seasons. He continually faced competition from the likes of Steve McNair and Troy Smith, and finally succumbed to Joe Flacco. He has a 71.4 quarterback rating, but his days as a starter are numbered even as bad as the Raiders are at that position.

4. David Carr, Houston Texans via Fresno State

The first overall selection of the 2002 draft may have suffered the worst of any Tedford protégé and fell the furthest. His career started as the first quarterback of the Texans with an opening-game upset of the Dallas Cowboys. Carr and the Texans improved during his first three seasons, but they went down from there. He will go down as the single-season record-holder for sacks in a season (76). After five seasons with the Texans, he bounced around to the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers and now is a backup with the San Francisco 49ers. His 58.9 career completion percentage shows he has been much better than his 74.9 quarterback rating.

3. Billy Volek, Tennessee Titans via Fresno State

Volek is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the history of the game. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans in 2000 after he went undrafted. His 84.9 quarterback rating is indicative of his clutch performances throughout his career. He became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw for consecutive 400-yard games after replacing an injured Steve McNair. He has been with the San Diego Chargers for the past five seasons. His highlight there has been replacing an injured Phillip Rivers in the 2008 AFC Divisional playoff and winning at Indianapolis. By all rights, Volek should have taken over for McNair in Tennessee and he could have been a successful starter in this league.

2. Trent Dilfer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Fresno State

The only reason Dilfer ranks ahead of Volek is because of his Super Bowl ring. He was the sixth overall pick for the Bucs, who were criticized by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper for taking Dilfer that high. He gained a reputation as an unflashy quarterback who didn’t make mistakes. Though he finished his career with a 70.2 quarterback rating, he managed to be a starter for five different NFL teams – including parts of his last two seasons for the 49ers – until he retired in 2007. His pinnacle was in 2000 when he quietly quarterbacked the Ravens to a Super Bowl XXXV victory. He has been called the worst winning quarterback in Super Bowl history. The irony is that he and Kiper now work together at ESPN.

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers via Cal

He has come a long way from the college player out of Chico who was supposed to be the No. 1 draft pick of the 49ers – and then fell 24 picks. Rodgers native can relate to Hall of Famer Steve Young, a skilled quarterback who had to wait his turn behind a legend like Joe Montana. In Rodgers’ case, he spent three years holding the clipboard behind Brett Favre after the Packers picked him 24th overall. Three seasons after taking over the starting spot for the now retired (we think) Favre, Rodgers has proven he is a championship-caliber quarterback with a 98.4 career quarterback rating and 12,723 passing yards. He has a 3-1 playoffs record and a chance to equal Dilfer with a Super Bowl ring. Although Rodgers may not be an elite quarterback yet – Tom Brady and Peyton Manning played in many championship games before reaching that status – he is well on his way.

Man, who would have thought that Aaron Rodgers would have turned out to be as good as he is. I thought for sure that he'd be another Tedford system bust. The Dolphins had a chance to draft him and didn't do it even though we were desperate for a QB.

What advantage does Rodgers that most of those did not? He sat for 3 yrs, while the Packers torn him down & rebuilt him. Odds are had he came to Miami, then they would have thrown him out there in Yr. 1 & he would be just another name on the list of failures.